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OF. THE 



FIRST CHURCH 



OBEliFLXjIISr,.. OHIO. 



AN ADDRESS BY THE PASTOR, 

REV. JAMES BRAND, 

Delivered December, 1876. 



PUBLISHED BY REQUEST.: 



1S77. 

PRINTED AT THE NEWS JOB ROOM. 



f CTo ; 




mtBT<BMW 



OF THE 



FIRST CHURCH 



OBZEDFLT-jIUNT, OHIO. 



AN ADDRESS BY THE PASTOR 
i 

REV. JAMES BRAND, 

Delivered December, 1876. 



PUBLISHED BY REQUEST. 



1S77. 

PRINTED AT THE NEWS JOB ROOM, 



NOTE. 

— ■ > 

To the First Church, Oberlin. 

Dear Brethren : — Your kind request that this his- 
tory might be placed in your hands for publication, I am hap- 
py to comply with. Some of the reasons for writing the 
history of this church at all, are — 

1. It has a history. 

2. While several, excellent historical sketches of Oberlin 
College have been published, no history of the church, as 
such, has been attempted. 

3. The early relation of this church to the other church- 
es ot Northern Ohio, and to the Congregational body at 
large, has, in some quarters, not been well understood. 

In preparing these pages, no pains have been spared to 
verify each statement by comparison of the testimonies of 
living witnesses, as well as by an examination of whatever 
books and documents could be found bearing upon the 
theme. 

It may be felt by some 1 that certain questions of deep 
interest have been passed over, and that others have receiv- 
ed only a notice quite below their real importance. This is 
conceded and regretted. But a little reflection will show 
that the fact is not without reasons. Thus the Doctrine of 
Sanctification, which has occupied so large a place in this 
church, could not have been adequately reviewed and set 
forth without swelling this pamphlet to a volume. Sub- 
stantially the same may be bald of the subject of revivals. 
It was found that, to give this topic a treatment correspond- 
ing to its importance, and one which would be of any prac- 
tical value, would require quite a pamphlet of itself. These 
and other theme-, e, have received, not a special, 

but only a gene:.. 1 , h I notice. 

The writer acknowledges his indebtedness to Pies. J. 
H. Faiichild, Prof. Jame U:. comb, Prof. Henry Cowles, 
Prof. John Morgan, Prof. C. li. Churchill, Rev. Geo. Clark, 
Rev. T.J. Keep, and others, for valuable information. 

J. B. 
Oberlin, April 24M, 1877. 



HISTORY OF THE FIRST CHURCH. OBERLIN. 



The divine method of propagating influence in the 
world seems to be largely by the mysterious connection of 
generations. Each generation is a board of trustees who 
hold in trust the legacy of the past, to be used and handed 
down with interest to the next following. We are trustees 
of character, truths, principles, and institutions as truly as of 
houses and lands. God has appointed a law and a testimo- 
ny which he commanded our fathers to make known to 
their children, that the generations to come might know 
them, even the children that should be born, and that they 
should arise and declare them to their children, that they 
might set their hope in God. This duty of transmission 
seems to be laid upon us by an unalterable decree. As to 
the fact of transmission we have no option. As to what 
shall be transmitted, we are graciously allowed to choose. 
We are bound especially to transmit the good, because we 
receive our own good largely from the past. " We have 
dressed ourselves by the help of the wardrobe of the past. 
We should haveieen as naked as savages, had not the poets, 
and sages, the reformers and men of God met us on our way 
to clothe us in the garments of a Christian civilization." 
This good that comes flowing in upon us from tiie past, 
we are bound to send forward purified and enlarged to those 
that follow. It is in view of this truth, that we are led nat- 
urally, at the close of this Centennial year, to review the 
history of this church. 



>* % * V 



4 HISTORY OF THE 

ORGANIZATION AND ORIGINAL MEMBERS. 

There was religious worship in Oberlin nearly two 
years before any organized church existed. The first prayer 
meeting on the ground was in the fall of 1832, and consist- 
ed of Rev. John J. Shipherd — the founder of the colony, 
Philo P. Stewart and Peter P. Pease. The first tree having 
been felled on the southeast corner ot what is now the col- 
lege green, these three brethren knelt down and prayed 
the prayer of consecration for the place, and then sat upon 
the prostrate tree and talked of Christian-fellowship. Dur- 
ing the next year, 1S33, while the colonists were gathering, 
and the foundations of the Oberlin Institute were being laid, 
the people met together for religious service, without any or- 
ganization — first in the log cabin of Peter P. Pease, then in 
the " school- room " — an apartment of " Oberlin Hall," the first 
building erected by Oberlin College, and which will be no- 
ticed in another place. Even in their haste to remove the 
forest that embosomed them, the people did not think it a 
waste of time to unite for daily prayer. In those early* days 
when the town consisted of but a few rude dwellings on 
what are now Main and College streets, it was the custom 
to ring a large dinner bell, at the center, to call the people 
together for daily prayer-meeting at five o'clock in the 
morning. It was also customary when a neighbor built a 
new dwelling house, instead of the old-fashioned u house 
warming," to dedicate the building with appropriate prayer 
and thanksgiving. In this way many of the first homes of 
Oberlin were consecrated to the Lord, ^hus, the sound of 
the woodman's ax, the crack of the rifle amid the abundant 
game, and the voice of prayer and praise, all stiangely 
blended together, are the echoes of forty years ago, which 
still linger in the memories of the early settlers as they look 
back from this goodly heritage to the hardships and glory of 
their pioneer life. 

The years 1833-4 witnessed a great advancement ; new 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERLIN. 5 

settlers poured in, the forests receded, and the necessity for 
church privileges daily increased. The records of the 
church read thus : — "Aug. 19. 1834. The brethren and sis- 
ters of Oberlin assembled in the school-room, brother J. J. 
Shipherd in the chair, N. P. Fletcher appointed clerk — Re- 
solved, that a church be formed as soon as may be, and that 
it be called the First Congregational Church of Christ in 
Oberlin." Meantime, September 3d, a confession of faith 
having been drawn up and adopted, and sixty-two persons 
examined, under the lead of Mr. Shipherd, the people met 
again in the school-room September 13th, and simply re- 
solved "That those who have been examined and accepted, 
do now consider themselves as members, and that the 
church is now legally and completely organized." Mr. 
Shipherd was appointed to " preside as chairman of their so- 
cial and religious meetings for the time being." Nathan P. 
Fletcher was appointed clerk, and Samuel Daniels and 
Isaac Cummings were chosen temporary deacons. The 
following month Samuel Daniels and Peter P. Pease were 
duly elected for one year as the first regular deacons ot the 
church. Thus organized and equipped, under the shadow 
of the frowning forests, the First Church of Oberlin began 
its eventful career. It had no ecclesiastical council present 
at its birth to sanction its existence or bid it God speed, and 
needed none. A little band of devout men and women in 
the heart of a great wilderness, felt the need of a church of 
Christ, that was sanction enough for its existence. 

Of the original sixty- two members, we have been able 
to find only some eighteen or twenty who have not crossed 
the river. Of these, the following twelve still live in Oberlin : 
Herschel Reed, Chloe Cummings — now Mrs. Wheat Eliza 
Stevens, Fay Hopkins, Sarah Hopkins — now Mrs. Porter, 
Daniel B. Kinney, Betsey Kinney, Eliza Branch — now Mrs. 
Clark — and who was one of the first teachers here, Lydia 



6 HISTORY OF THE 

Turner. Mrs. Janes — now Mrs. Strong, Elizur M. Leonard, 
and Almira Hamilton. There are several who united 
with the church from one to six months after its organi- 
zation, whom God has still spared to us. Among these are 
Charles Farrar, Hiram A. Pease, Lydia Pease, Prof. James 
Dascomb, Mrs. M. P. Dascomb, Nathaniel Gerrish, and 
others. 

PRINCIPLES AND AIMS OF THE FOUNDERS. 

It is not too much to say that the founders of this church 
were men and women remarkable for the spirit of self-sacri- 
fice, and a practical and comprehensive faith in Goa. The 
tremendous energy and intensity of spiritual life which 
characterized them, and which was still further developed 
in the progress of the place, was the outgrowth of the great 
revivals of Nettleton and Finney which had spread over the 
land, a few years before. The kev to the history of the 
church, lies in the fact, that, its founders did not aim simply 
to establish another church in the ordinary sense of the term 
but to accomplish a reform — to illustrate what they held to 
be the Gospel idea of a Church of Christ. To this end a 
strictly Christian school was a necessity. The overshadowing 
truth under which they lived and moved and had their being, 
was that of the great needs of the perishing world and the 
failure of a degenerate church to meet them. Hence, a lead- 
ing thought in every mind was the conversion not only of 
hearts, but also of pocket-books to Christ. Every man was to 
cultivate his lands for God, and ''hold no m^re than he could 
properly manage for God as his faithful steward. And " yet 
more.'" said they, " to increase our means of serving him who 
has bought us with His blood, we will observe plainness 
and durability in the construction oi our houses, furniture, 
carriages and all that pertains to us." They were men and 
women who lived for the future, they saw the need of men 
as well as means, hence they took special pains to thorough- 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERLIN. 7 

ly educate their children, pledging themselves to train them 
up in body, intellect and heart for the service of the Lord. 

With these principles and aims, the church of course 
was ready to take advanced ground on the great moral ques- 
tions which were then dividing the nation. The anti-slavery 
rupture at Lane Seminary forced upon the trustees of the 
college and the colonists of Oberlin, the question, "Shall 
students be received here irrespective of color?" The peo- 
ple expressed themselves as willing to '*lay aside every prej- 
udice and to do as we shall be led to believe God would have 
us do." The struggle which ensued in the meeting of the 
trustees of Oberlin College, which finally decided the mo- 
mentous question, is described in the following words by 
Pres. E. H. Fairchild, now of Berea College, Kentucky : 

'"They were called together again, and met at the house 
of Mr. Shipherd in his absence. Mrs. Shipherd, engaged in 
her household duties, often passed the door, which stood 
ajar, and at length, in her anxiety stopped before it. Father 
Keep, the m oderator, comprehended her solicitude, and, 
stepping out, informed her that the result was doubtful. 
She immediately dropped her work, gathered the pravmg 
sisters of the neighborhood, and they continued in prayer till 
the decision was announced. The question was decided in 
the affirmative by the casting vote of Father Keep. God 
bless the good old man, now eighty-seven ! Thus the rubi- 
con was passed, and henceforth the name of Oberlin was a 
hissing and a by-word throughout the land." 

As a result of*this initial step, the church not only exclud- 
ed slave-holders from its communion, but refused to give 
letters of recommendation to churches which sanctioned or 
tolerated slavery. 

As an indication of its position on the question of tem- 
perance, it may be said that no fermented wines have ever 
been used at this communion table ; a position which even at 
the present day is occupied by but few churches. The 



8 HISTORY OF THE 

church has kept up not only a theoretical but a practical and 
successful crusade upon intemperance from the beginning ;• 
and it often recognizes the fact that " there is no discharge in 
that war." 

STATISTICS OF GROWTH. 

The success of the church work here has been worthy 
of its principles. Probably no other church in an obscure 
village ever had such an enormous growth. It is a fact wor- 
thy of notice, that not one communion season since the or- 
ganization of the church in 1834, has passed without some 
additions to its membership. Beginning with sixty-two 
communicants in the solitudes of the forest, it has had, in the 
.space of forty-two years, about 4.660 members — an average 
addition of a little more than no a year during its entire his- 
tory. The years of most rapid growth were, ot course, pre- 
vious to i860 when the church held the field almost alone, and 
when Mr. Finney was in his prime. During the first thirty 
years the average annual addition of members was about 
112. The smallest number admitted in any single year was 
3 5, the largest 360. The period of smallest increase in the 
whole history was from i86Sto 1872, when the average an- 
nual additions went down to about 46. From 1872 to the 
present time, April, 1877, the average has risen from 46 to 
1 10. 

Of course no such growth in numbers could have been 
possible in a village like Oberlin even with Mr. Finney's re- 
markable powers, had it not been for the connection of the 
church with the institution. Many Christian students as well 
as citizens came here and united with the church by letter, 
and yet by far the larger part of the four thousand and a 
half, have been converted here and have united on profession 
ot faith. 

Another fact which modifies the result, is the changing 
character of the population of the place. It would be pre- 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERLIN. 9 

mature to infer from the admission of so great numbers 
that the church was correspondingly large. The same in- 
fluences that bring such large additions, also necessitate a 
large number of dismissions. The present membership of 
the church is 740. 

PASTORS. 

The first pastor of the church was Rev. John J, Ship- 
herd, who came here from the Presbyterian church of Elyria. 
He was called to the pastoral office immediately after the or- 
ganization of the church. Ill-health and the draft of the 
institute upon him, together with some visions of still other 
educational enterprises which he yearned to realize, led him to 
resign in June, 1836. In his letter of resignation, to the church 
he humbly expressed the conviction that he had not been prof- 
itable to them in the ministry, and added, " I can merely pass 
it off in an ordinary way ; which will no more answer for 
Oberlin than it will do for you to have an ordinary church." 
His last words are worthy of record, as indicating the inten- 
sity of his solicitude for the church and institute to which he 
had given so much thought and prayer. After expressing 
his fear that a man fully fitted to take the position could not 
be found, he said : "Nevertheless, if the colony and institute 
cannot be bound together, in one fold, under one Shepherd, 
be sure you settle a man who will encircle the colony with 
one arm and the institution with the other, holding them as 
a church in inseparable Christian union." 

What Mr. Shipherd was as a preacher does not appear. 
It is possible that, though the father of the colony, he felt 
himself, in the pulpit, somewhat overshadowed by the pres- 
ence of greater men who had come in to take up the work of 
the school and who were already doing a part of the preach- 
ing for the church. While Mr. Shipherd seems to have 
been a man of great earnestness of heart and persistency of 



IO HISTORY OF THE 

purpose, as well as profound, practical faith, he seems also to 
have been a man of visions; better adapted to devise plans 
and lay foundations, than to prosecute the continuous work 
necessary to secure permanent results. 

The man who could encircle the colony with one arm 
and the institute with the other, whom Mr. Shipherd charg- 
ed the church to settle, but who, as he feared, was not in ex- 
istence, was really at his elbow. Prof. Charles G. Finney 
was called to take charge of the church in May, 1837, an< ^ 
$400 a year voted him as compensation for his services. 
Having other means of support however, he never accepted 
any salary from the church. He continued as pastor, (though 
neither he nor Mr. Shipherd were ever installed), from that 
time till May, 1872, a period of thirty-five years. 

This is not the place to enter upon any extended review 
of Mr. Finney's power as a preacher, devotion as a pastor, 
or the results of his ministry to the church. Even if our space 
would admit of it, such an estimate would be superfluous. 
Mr. Finney, as president, preacher, pastor, author and theo- 
logian, has been too recently and too well put before the pub- 
lic, to require more than a mention here. The country is 
not ignorant of the man or his work, and Oberlin knows his 
history by heart/ Suffice it to say, that as pastor of the 
church he carried out the grand leading ideas of reform 
which animated its founders ; and that few pastorates have 
ever been more fruitful of good results, or left more sacred 
and precious memories behind them. It was probably a 
great advantage to Mr. Finney that he left New York to 
enter upon the hardships and self-denials of Oberlin. This 
field combining church and theological seminary was spe- 
cially fitted to ihe bent of his mind and the development of 
his great powers. Probably in no other place in the country 
could he have wielded a greater influence. On the other hand, * 



A- 



rr<ch. U- m >-+*£-* ./l*t/t~~ <h~ f> - -^c 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERI.IN. II 

it was an equally great blessing to the First Church when it 
and the name of Charles G. Finney became inseparably 
connected together. 

Next to Pres. Finney, and associated with him as assis- 
tant pastor through nearly the entire history of the church, 
and to whom the church owes a perpetual debt of gratitude 
and love, stands Prof. John Morgan, D. D., whose life God 
still spares, as a kind of benediction to the people. Dr. 
Morgan served the church during the long and frequent 
periods of Pres. Finney's absence, and otten at other times — 
holding himself ready, it is said, to preach at any time on 
half an hour's notice from Pres. Finney, and bringing the 
great wealth of his learning, wisdom, and personal devotion, 
both in the pulpit and out of it, to the edification of the 
church. 

Though the records are almost silent on the subject, it is 
seen from other sources that Pres. Mahan also occupied a 
very prominent place as preacher to this church. He preach- 
ed, however, not as pastor, but as president of the college. 
Having the natural oversight of the students spiritually as 
well as educationally, he preached hali of each Sabbath for 
some twelve or fifteen years. He is spoken of as a man of 
great power and fervency in the pulpit ; and did very much 
to build up the true spirituality of the people. 

Pres. J. H. Fairchild, Prof. H. E. Peck, Prof. C. H. 
Churchill, Prof. Henry Cowles, and indeed nearly all the 
members of the faculty have been more or less the instruc- 
tors of the church. Prof. Cowles, besides occasionally 
preaching, did much to extend and perpetuate the power of 
the pulpit by his regular reports of the sermons in the Ober- 
lin Evangelist. 

PLACES OF WORSHIP. 

The birthplace of this church, as we have seen, was the 



12 HISTORY OF THE 

•'school-room, 1 ' an apartment 20 by 40 feet in the second 
story of the building now occupied by Mr. Tuttle's jewelry 
store, and which was then " Oberlin Hall." Here the church 
remained about a year. During the. summer of 183^, the 
congregation having quite outgrown its accommodations, 
seized upon the unfinished dining-room of the first Boarding 
Hall. The first pulpit here, is said to have been a work 
bench. This room accommodated the church for a season, 
but overflowing again, they next moved to " Colonial Hall" 
— a building put up by the joint efforts of colonists and insti- 
tution. This place, used both for church and college chapel, 
would seat about eight hundred. Here also in the course of 
time it became necessary to hold side meetings in the Labora- 
tory and other places, in connection with the regular services. 
In the year 1835 tne "Big tent," a gift from New York 
friends to Mr. Finney, was brought to Oberlin. In the ab- 
sence of a suitable house of worship, this tent was dedicated 
to the Lord, and was frequently used for Sabbath services ; 
the students putting it up upon the green Saturday night and 
taking it down again Monday morning. It was 100 feet in 
diameter, and from its central pole floated a streamer, on 
which were inscribed the words "Holiness to the Lord." 
When no longer needed here, the tent was used by Oberlin 
men for the purpose of holding revival meetings in different 
parts of the state, but its ultimate fate is unknown. The 
subject of building a house of worship had been under 
discussion among certain individuals for some years. The 
manner in which it was finally entered upon is well describ- 
ed in a letter received from Mr. George Kinney who was 
many years the treasurer of Oberlin College, and an active 
member of the First Church. He says : ''There was one scene 
connected with building of the First Church which has often 
stood vividly before my mind. It was the Sabbath before the 
enterprise of erecting the house was entered upon. The con- 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERLIN. 13 

gregation had gathered as usual in the old chapel, then the 
only place of worship for the whole village. The diminutive 
house had become packed, and the doors on either side, 
opening directly upon the walks, were thronged by the 
anxious multitude, while ushers were passing up and down 
the crowded aisles trying to compress the people into a 
smaller compass. Mr. Finney, then in the full vigor of man- 
hood, sat on the low platform eagerly surveying the scene. 
At last he arose and said " Brethren, the Lord's work in this 
place demands of us a house of worship that will accommo- 
date tlie people, and whatever the Lord's work requires of 
us, we can do. We must build a church. Now come to- 
gether to-morrow at one o'clock, all of you, and we will talk 
this over, and lay our plans, for it can be done" 

The next day nearly all the village, men, women and 
children, came together and after a characteristic prayer by 
Mr. Finney and a statement from him of his views as to the 
size and kind of building required, the people entered at 
once into the work. No one plead inability or even a delay 
for a more convenient season, although till the day before, 
very few had thought it possible to build, or even heard the 
subject broached, Mr. Finney also gave more for the object 
than any other rrian. 

Perhaps It is not too much to say that, did the necessities! 
of the people require it, the present Oberlin with the same 
spirit and zeal, could build twenty such houses with no 
greater sacrifice than was required at that day to build the 
one." 

This was in 1840. A committee was at once appointed, 
consisting of Rev. George Whipple, late Secretary of the 
A. M. A., Prof. James Dascomb, Mr. Lewis Holtslander and 
Mr. Horace Taylor, to take the matter in hand. In 1842 the 
foundations of the house were laid, though it wasn~ot occu- 
pied till some time in 1843, and even then it was entered 



H 



HISTORY OF THE 



without being completed, and without any formal dedication. 
The people were but too glad to be released from their 
cramped ami uncomfortable quarters, to cease their wander- 
ings, and settle down in a permanent church home. The lot 
where the building stands, together with a lot for a parson- 
age was given for that purpose by the original owners of the 
land where Oberlin was built. The house was designed not 
simply to meet the wants of the church, but also to accom- 
modate the great annual gatherings of the friends of the 
.college. Accordingly it was built large enough to seat 1.800 
raeople, and so wiselv constructed that it still stands, as Pres. 
-'airchild I. as said, the " finest audience room in the West." 
'he controlling aim of the builders was convenience and 
iurability. not beauty. The interior was modelled, it is said, 
ifter the Old Broadway Tabernacle of New York. 

To put up such a building at that period of Oberlin's 
historv. was a gigantic undertaking. There were no men of 
wealth in the community. Almost all the colonists were 
themselves living in their first rude dwellings. The salaries 
of the professors were only $600 a year, and the New York 
fund for the supply of them having: failed, they were largely 
in arrears. The house, however, seemed to be indispensible 
to the work of the Lord here, and if so, it must and would be 
built. The clarion voice and boundless faith of Pres. Finney 
called on the people to arise and build, and they did. The 
first subscriptions of the professors were $200 apiece, and 
most of them had to double that amount before the work 
was done. The people generally did as much or more in 
proportion to their means. The sacrifices thev made, look to 
us at this distance, and under the circumstances, as simply 
sublime. The people, however, did not seem to think it was 
anything remarkable. That was what they were here for. 
In the absence of cash, the building committee received all 
sorts of commodities, horses, cows, wagons, harnesses, sheep, 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERL1N. 15 

hay, grain, cheese, etc., etc., all of which were turned to pay 
the workmen or to purchase materials. ijK the book contain- 
ing the first records of the society, wh^chVas unfortunately 

been lost, are said to be such entries as/hese\" Brother 

was appointed a committee to lool^ifter theVwo cows be- 
longing to the society," other bjtethren were\appointed a 
committee to see to " working \pT\ the students, by o^sses, as 
mason tenders ;" another committee was to see to u nsoning 
a wagon wood, to be tu,med out to Mr. Riker to appl^on 
mason work," etc., etgfT^ The poorest persons in the colony 
claimed the privilege of contributing something. Students 
also contributed of their scanty and hard-earned means. 
When neither money nor produce could be spared, men turn- 
ed out and gave their personal services One man had lumber 
prepared for his own dwelling house, and, in the absence of 
other means, though living in a small log house, he gave his 
lumber to the church, and has lived in that log house till 
within a year or two of the present time. One young wo- 
man supporting herself by domestic labor while she studied 
at intervals, brought to the committee (unsolicited) a five 
dollar gold piece as her fiist contribution. 

Help was also solicited and received from abroad, on 
the ground that the Church was partly for the benefit of 
the College. Subscriptions ranging all the way from ten 
cents to one hundred dollars were thus given by the people 
outside. The largest sums received were one hundred dol- 
lars from F. D. Parish of Sandusky, and fifty dollars from L, 
J. Burrell of Elyria. Notwithstanding the building cost 
but twelve or thirteen thousand dollars, and in spite 
of the struggles at home and the assistance from abroad, it 
was completed with a heavy debt upon it. This debt was 
thrown off by subsequently "issuing certificates of stock, 
bearing interest at six per cent, in slip rent only." Years af- 
terwards this stock was largely bought up by the society, at 



1 6 HISTORY OF THE ■ 

a very large discount, or was given outright by the holders. 
The building standing as it is to-day in excellent condition, 
speaks for itself; substantial and plain, and unlike most of 
our modern churches, admirably adapted to the purpose for 
which it was designed. The basement was intended for 
college purposes but was found to be too damp for comfort. 
The room undor the organ, however, was long used by the 
theological department for lectures and recitations, the stu- 
dents finishing it off at their own expense as a compensa- 
tion to the church. 

In connection with places of worship, it seems appro- 
priate that we should notice the church chapels. The first 
was built in 1S63, a plain brick structure, aud stood on the 
west side of the church, but was subsequently taken down 
to give place to Council Hull. The present beautiful and 
commodious chapel, of which Prof. Churchill was architect, 
was erected in 1S73, and will doubtless meet the wants of the 
church for generations to come. 

LATER HISTORY. 

The church, thus provided with this noble edifice in 
1843. went forward in its great' work, holding tor some 
twelve or fifteen years longer the entire field alone. Some 
two years after the organization of the church the original 
confession of faith was modified, "to adapt it to meet the 
approbation of all evangelical christians. The doctrines of 
election aud perseverance were omitted, and those of future 
reward and punishment, and the Christian Sabbath added. 
The covenant was also amended so as to give liberty in 
reference to infant baptism. This change was made not 
because there were many here who objected to those con- 
troverted doctrines, or to infant baptism, but to preclude the 
necessity of the multiplication of churches, and in obedience 



i 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERLIN. 1 7 

to a prevailing conviction that any basis for a church less 
catholic than Christianity itself, was unscriptural." 

It is worthy of note here, that upon the same principle 
on which- the church excluded Slave-holders from its com- 
munion in the early days, it subsequently excluded Free 
Masons; though not with the same unanimity. The subject 
of Free Masonry was brought to the attention of the church 
in 1867. After that exhaustive and prolonged discussion 
which moral questions have always received here, it was 
resolved by a vote of i£& to 97/^that, in receiving members, 
if any candidate be connected with this secret organization, 
we will in the spirit of Christ use all hopeful endeavors to 
convince him ot his error; but, if after such labor, he shall 
decide to continue active connection with it, we will regret 
his decision, but cannot "bid him God-speed" by giving him 
the right hand of fellowship and entering into covenant 
with hira#/ The substance of the argument in favor of this 
position was that Free Masonry is radically opposed to the 
spirit of the Gospel, and hence the church of Christ cannot 
consistently enter into covenant with adhering members of 
that fraternity. The minority agreed with the majority in 
discountenancing Masonry as an evil, but took issue on the 
policyjrf. exclusion, as being in their view an infringement 
of Christian Liberty, and as introducing a test of church 
fellowship unauthorized by Christ. 

The^ubject of Sanctification as generally held in this 
church has been adequately set forth in pamphlets published 
by Pres. E. H. Fairchild in 1868, and by Pres. J. H. Fair- 
child in 1875. Suffice it to say here, that while there were 
confessedly extreme and unscriptural grounds taken by some 
few of the students and colonists in the early days, those 
extremes were rejected by the responsible teachers of the 
church; and that the general tendency of the instruction on 
that theme has always been toward a strong middle ground 



1 8 HISTORY OF THE 

between antinomian perfection on the one hand, and the old 
school view of inability on the other — a position in evident 
accord with the Scriptures, and acceptable to the great mass 
of those who hold the new school theology. Any abuses or 
perversions of the doctrine, which may, in isolated cases, 
have crept in of late years, are the fruit of a literature intro- 
duced into Oberlin from without. 

The confession of faith of the First Church, quite fairly 
represents the doctrinal position of its founders and leading 
men — which is also, a middle ground between High Cal- 
vinism and Arminianism. It is not surprising therefore that 
the multitudes who came here from all parts of the country, 
and from all Christian denominations, were able to fraternize 
perfectly with this church. Neither is it surprising that with 
church accommodations for the whole community, and with 
a doctrinal basis as broad as the Gospel itself, the people 
should, during the early years have discountenanced the 
establishment of other churches in the place. The charge 
recently made of sectarian opposition to the organization of 
an Episcopal Church here, seems to be based upon an utter 
misconception of the facts. The discouragement offered to 
such an enterprise, if there were any, was not on the ground 
of prejudice toward an Episcopal Church as such, but on 
the ground that the existing church was so Catholic as to 
render other sects superfluous. But when the determination 
was taken by a tew individuals, to have an Episcopal 
Church, instead of sectarian opposition, the First Church 
opened its doors to Bishop Mcllvaine who, in the absence 
oi any other suitable place, came in and held a regular 
service in this house, the choir of this church furnishing 
the music. Neither in the recorded traditions, or existing 
spirit ot the place has the writer been able to find 
any sectarian prejudice toward any ot the denominations 
established here. We are all on a basis of friendly and 
happy intercourse. Nevertheless, the prevailing harmony 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERLIN. 19 

among the people here for twenty-five or thirty years, and 
the absence in the community of any sense of the need of 
other denominations, suggests the question, whether when 
the basis of union is simply the Gospel itself, and the spirit 
is that of the Master, the necessity for different sects might 
not wholly disappear. 

THE SECOND CHURCH. 

Notwithstanding the organization of other sects here, 
from 1856 onward, this church once more outgrew its quar- 
ters, and in i860 the spacious building was found to be too 
small. With a wise christian foresight, the policy of the 
church was now changed. Instead of again enlarging the 
seating capacity, it was felt that a greater efficiency would be 
secured by a division of forces. Harmoniously, and with 
but one dissenting vote, the division was agreed to. This 
consummation was reached May 3d, i860, when an eccle- 
siastical council convened, and the Second Congregational 
Church of Oberlin was organized ; 112 members going out 
with reluctance and with the benediction of those who re- 
mained. Subsequent events have proven the wisdom of 
this step. The growing demands of the community have 
doubtless been better met, and greater efficiency of chris- 
tian work secured, than could have been attained by one 
mammoth church. The new organization started out with a 
doctrinal basis identical with the old, and has grown to near- 
ly equal dimensions. The two have lived and worked to- 
gether as mother and child should, with one work, one aim, 
one spirit, one hope, one God and Father of all. As an illus- 
tration of the good feeling existing between the two church- 
es, it may be remarked that when the members of the Sec- 
ond Church began to build, some seven or eight years ago, 
those of them still holding stock in the old house, relinquish- 
ed their claims — probably to the amount of several hundred 
dollars — and the members of the First Church, in their turn, 
generously contributed five thousand two hundred and forty 



20 HISTORY OF THE 

dollars, toward the erection of a new house of worship for 
their brethren. 

ORGANIZATION FOR CHRISTIAN WORK. 

In 1870, when Pies. Finney's strength was beginning to 
tail, a feeling prevailed among the members of the church. 
that a more thorough organization for christian work was 
demanded to meet the needs of the community. Accord- 
ingly, the following plan was adopted, and has proved of great 
value to the church. Several pastors having enquired about 
this organization, and thinking it may be of yalue to others 
into whose hands this history may fall, we insert the consti- 
tution entire : 

"PLAN OF ORGANIZATION FOR CHRISTIAN LABOR ADOPTED BY 
THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF OBERLIN, DE- 
CEMBER, 1870. 

Believing that a primary design of Christ, in the organ- 
ization of his iollowers into christian churches, is that they 
may be associations for christian labor ; and therefore that 
every true christian church is by virtue of its organization 
such an association ; and believing that every member of 
the church has a work to perform in his Master's vineyard 
and that each member has his particular work to perform, 
and that it is the duty of the church to seek to enlist and 
engage every member of the church in some form of chris- 
tian activity. Therefore, 

Resolved, That as a means to this end we adopt the fol- 
lowing plan of organization: 

Art. 1. The town shall be divided into ten sections. 

Art. 2. The church shall appoint annually of its mem- 
bers a number corresponding to the number of sections, 
to constitute the superintendents, or leaders of the sec- 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERLIN. 21 

tions, in christian work. The candidate for this office in 
each section to be nominated by the section, by ballot. The 
appointment by the church to be at the church meeting on 
the Friday afternoon succeeding the nomination. The 
leaders to hold their office until the time for the next annual 
election. 

Art. 3. The Section Leaders, shall together, constitute 
a Board of Christian Work. Any number of leaders not 
less than four shall constitute a quorum. 

Art. 4. The Pastor of the church shall be ex-officio 
president of the Board. 

Art. $ A vice-president and secretary shall be elected 
by the Board annually, by ballot, to hold their office during 
the year. 

Art 6. It shall be the duty 7 of the Board to put in opera- 
tion all means it shall deem suitable to bring into active and 
efficient service, the whole talent -of the christian brethren 
and sisters in the church, and in co-operation with chris- 
tians of other churches to bring the entire population resid- 
ing within the geographical limits of the church, under 
religious influences. 

Art. 7. The Board shall have power to modify from 
time to time, the sectional boundaries, if the people residing 
within these boundaries wish it. 

Art. 8. The Board shall meet monthly for consulta- 
tion, the hearing of reports from the sections, and for the 
transaction of such other business as may come before them. 

Art. 9. It shall be the duty of each Section Leader, 
to make a thorough examination of his field, to 
ascertain what work needs to be done. He shall 
keep a memorandum or schedule of the work. He shall 



22 HISTORY OF THE 

keep a roll of all the members in his section ; ascertain 
who are at work, or are willing to work, and aid them in 
selecting such a portion of the work as they shall seem 
fitted to do ; and endeavor to interest and engage all the 
members in some form of christian labor. 

Art. io. The Section Leaders may appoint as their Help- 
ers, one or more of the brethren or sisters in each section. 

Art. ii. If there shall not be a sufficient number of 
laborers in any section to meet the demand, they may be ob- 
tained from other sections from which they can be spared. 

Art. 12. It shall be a special duty of the Section Leaders 
to see that all suitable means are used to sustain prayer-meet- 
ings in their sections, and to make them interesting. 

Art. 13. Each Section Leader shall make a full written 
or verbal statement monthly, of the religious condition of 
his section, for the use of the Pastor and of the Board. 

Art. 14. The time for the annual nomination of leaders 
shall be the first Sabbath in January, notice of which shall be 
given on the previous Sabbath. 

Art. 15. Any section failing to obtain a leader at the 
regular time for election, or which may, for any cause, have 
been deprived of its leader, may secure the appointment Of 
one at any regular meeting of the church, provided the 
nomination and appointment of the candidate be in accord- 
ance with Article Second of this Constitution ; his term of 
service to expire at the time of the next annual election. 

Art. 16. This Constitution may be altered, amended 
or repealed by the vote of a majority present at any regular 
meeting of the church, notice having been given on the pre- 
vious Sabbath, of the proposed change." 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERLIN. 23 

REVIVALS. 

One of the marked features of this church is that it has 
been blessed with an almost continuous revival. This has 
arisen from the nature and power of Mr. Finney's preaching 
on the one hand, and from the great number of young and 
impressible minds, gathered here for purposes of education 
on the other. Almost every term witnessed the conversion 
of great numbers of students, till it came to be a proverb 
that no one could remain in Oberlin without becoming a 
christian. Rising, however, above this general level ot 
spiritual power, there are scattered all along the history of 
the church many " great awakenings." One or two of these 
may be referred to in passing. Perhaps the most powerful 
and extensive occurred in 1850. Mr. Finney was at the 
time in England, engaged in revival work there. Feeling 
himself surrounded with prejudices awakened by the 
foreign correspondence of theological opponents in this 
country, he wrote, imploring the church of Oberlin to pray 
for him and his work. They did so, and their prayer was 
" returned into their own bosom." From the gatherings 
here to pray for souls in England,' there came upon the peo- 
ple a sense of their own need, and thus began one of the 
greatest works of grace ever witnessed here. Rev. Geo. 
Clark, one of the first graduates from the Oberlin Theolog- 
ical Seminary, and a successful Evangelist, was invited to 
take charge of the work. Through ten weeks he preached 
and held other meetings daily, awakening, arousing, con- 
victing, directing sinners, till, by the blessing of God, more 
than three hundred — mostly students — were converted to 
Christ. This was followed by a similar work, though not so 
extensive, in 1S51-2, on Mr. Finney's return. 

The church records, show still another unusually large 
ingathering in 1863. Then came what is still spoken of as 



2 4 



HISTORY OF THE 



the "great revival " of 1866, whi«Ji was characterized by its 
remarkable power among the people of the town, as well as 
among the students. At this time one of the chief instru- 
mentalities in God's hands was a business men's prayer- 
meeting, established in a central place, where young and old 
gathered together day after day, till nearly the whole busi- 
ness community were brought to the Savior. 

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. 

The Sunday School work here is of earlier date than 
the church. It is greatly to be regretted that the early 
records of the work were lost some years ago. Persons still 
living, however, say that the Sunday school began in the 
house of Mr. Pease, afterward moving on from house to 
house, and from strength to strength, as the colony grew, 
and keeping pace in influence and numbers with the church 
itself. The first mention made of the Sunday school, to be 
found in the church records, is in January, 1836, when a 
committee was appointed "to consider the* best way ot con- 
ducting the Sabbath school, and to solicit funds for its sup- 
port." A similar committee was appointed the "following 
year for the same purpose. Mr. Finney, it would seem, 
could give little or no attention to the Sabbath school, but 
there were not wanting abundant and competent workers. 

From 1834 to 1843, we find the following list of super- 
intendents : Edward H. Fairchild, now president of Berea 
College, Ky., William P. Cushman, Cyrus W. Wallace. 
John Dodd, Oliver D. Hibbard, John W. Alvord, Prof. Geo. 
Whipple and Nelson W. Cook. fTn 1843 ^- r - Cook was 
succeeded by James Mason Fitch, who was the real father of 
the Sunday school work in Oberlin. This is evident from 
the single fact that when he took the school, in 1843, it num- 
bered only about one hundred and five scholars, and in 1859 
it numbered more than five hundred and fifty. Mr. Fitch 



FIRST CHURCH, OBSRLIN. 25 

was a man admirably adapted to his work, and remained in 
office till his death, in June, 1867. 

Mr. J. B. T. Marsh, who had for some time been assist- 
ant superintendent, then took charge of the school for about 
one year, when he was called to Chicago, and Prof. G. W. 
Shurtliff was elected in his place, with E. J. Goodrich as 
assistant. Prof. SburtlifF served only a few months, being 
compelled by other duties to resign, and Mr. Goodrich was 
soon after chosen superintendent of the school with Edward 
P. Johnson assistant. This arrangement continued till the 
division ot the school in 1870. Up to that time, though the 
Second Church had existed for ten years, there was but one 
Sabbath school — the two churches meeting together Sunday 
mornings in the old home, for the instruction of their chil- 
dren. Since that time they have pursued their separate ways, 
Mr. Goodrich holding the office with the affection of the 
school and tiie confidence of the people unto this dav. 

One or two incidents connected with Mr. Fitch's admi- 
istration are worthy of record. Mr. Fitch was one of the 
thirty-seven citizens of Oberlin and Wellington who were 
indicted by the United States Court in December, 1S58, for 
aiding and abetting the rescue of a fugitive slave, who had 
been " clandestinely abducted from Oberlin." Though but 
two of the thirty-seven were convicted, quite a number of 
the Oberlin men refusing to yield or compromise, were in- 
carcerated in the Cleveland jail eighty-five days. Mr. Fitch 
was one of that number. During this painful experience 
his beloved Sunday school of Oberlin visited him en masse, 
A writer in one of the papers of the day says : " One of the 
most touching of scenes occurred on Saturday, July 2d, 
when four hundred Sabbath school scholars applied at the 
jail to see their superintendent. Month after month they 
had looked toward his wonted place for him in vain, a place 
from which he had not been so long absent for sixteen years; 



2 6 HISTORY OF THE 

> ■ .- ■ ■ "-• 

and now, no longer patient, they came trooping like little 
angels, as thev were, and beat their very wings trf>ori the 
prison door." Then follows a long account of the day's ex- 
ercises and incidents, from which We take but an extract or 
two. " At the head ot the procession which was conducted 
Profs [. M. Ellis, and which was marched through the 
streets of Cleveland, accompanied by a band of music, 'was 
a -plendid banner, inscribed as follows i 



( ) 6 E R t I N SAB 15 A T H ' SCHOO L, 

I ' i 
% M- Fitch Superintendent. 



< 



"Stand vv kor j jesus. v 
•Them that Honor me I will Honor." 

-FEED MY EAMHS/' 

The children pressed anxiously on to the jail, and soon the 
throng of little feet pressed the prison floor: and the various 
rooms, stairways, halls and cells were filled, bach one was 
anxious to 'grasp the hand of one of the men, of whom 
judge Wilson impiously said, "lhev are not good chris- 
tian^.'* In the afternoon the children listened to speeche s 

■ 

from Mr. Fitch and others. Mr. Fitch's closing words were 
these: ■■Do right! always do right! nothing shall by any 
means harm you if ye be doers of that which is right.' 1 '' Glo- 
rious words from a man in prison for doing right! 

The feelings and sentiments of the Sunday school are 
still further indicated by the letters' which reached Mr. 
Fitch in prison, from the children One writes thus: "We 
still think you did right in doing as you did. We think it 'is 
doing a great deal of good in the Sunday school as well as 
in otheVplaces. 1 'think there are many of your scholars 
trying to follow in the'fabt.steps of their ble'sseVl Savior. I 
J or one am trying to 'serve the Lord. I feel willing to do 



FIRST CHURCH, OBKKLIN. Z*J 

I ■ I t $ r; 

any thing that Christ would have me do. We will continue 

to think of you ahrd pray For you as long as God gives us 
breath. ''Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteous-^ 
ness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."— — — your 
scholar." One little colored girl, trying to appreciate . th© 
sacrifice her superintendent had made for her race, ; writes i 
'T have thought of this passage of scripture for vour encour- 
agement, 'Blessed are ye when men shall revile you ' and 
persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely' 
for my sake; Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is 
your reward in Heaven.' i"n 

I ■ |j : : ' ■ ■ I 

jill Oj ■ I . .■ - :/l"HE CHOIK.. iwiyili : ■ ■ 'Ol 



■ 



f'l 



i <_] j nr/hfl 10 or to .jij 

Xo history of this church woukl.be .complete without! 

a history of the choir. _ It has worked nobly., in conne^or^ 

with the pulpit, and ^an rightfully clann a share in ,th£f 

glorious results of these forty-two yeiar^'Kif church life vv hich. 

we frav.t -been- reviewing. 

There were, sewer^ excellent smg£rs,#mong the. original! 

colonists. D.ea. Thomas P ; Turner was usually leader. The,' 

choir however, was. not organized till- 1835. ^ ! ■ &i $• ^ftfffiPJ 

soil, afterwards Prof. Ingersoll, was the first chorister.; :: In | 

1S36 he resigned and left Oberlin. Mr. Geo, N. Allen, a. 

student at, the; time, was' then elected chorister., He. is, 

regarded as the Father of the Oberlin Choir. A musical 

genius himself, he. threw, his whole being into the work of 

organizing and .drilling the musical talent of the place. 

The Sabbafh music of those days is spoken of | as bein^ 

hardly sepondjin religious , jmpressiveiiess to Pres. Finney's 

sermons. /All through, j^s history Pres. Finney was in the 

habit pf making tbe choir a jspecktlj subject of prayer. The 

voluntary frequently ; melted/him, jto - tears, while at other 

times he would beg the Lord to chec^. in the singers any 



g8 HISTORY OF THE 

ambitious tendencies to display. In 1841 Mr. Allen became 
Professoi of Sacred Music in the college, and about the same 
time the choir was legally incorporated so as to hold prop- 
erty, and began the collection of a valuable Musical Library. 

In the absence of an organ. Prof. Allen led the singers with 
a violin, and organized quite a lull orchestral accompaniment. 
In 1849, during Prof. Allen's temporary absence, Mr. C. 
11. Churchill then a theological student, was appointed 
chorister. He occupied the position during the following 
two years, till his graduation, when it was resumed by Prof. 
Allen. In 1859, Mr. Churchill returned to Oberlin, as pro- 
fessor, and Prof. Allen again resigned the leadership to him. 
In 18^4 the organ having been purchased, Geo. W. Steele 
became the first organist. By means of concerts given at 
various times, which obtained for it a reputation, the choir 
became quite a financial help to the church and college. It 
paid for putting gas fixtures into the church, helped to pay 
for the organ in 1854. contributed liberally to the purchase of 
the college hell, &c. &c In i860 the choir was divided 
between the First and Second churches, and the "Musical 
Union" formed of the two, has had the same delightfully 
helpful and benevolent habit as the old choir. In 1863 Mr. 
J. P. Morgan returning from Germany, declined the leader- 
ship of the choir, but rendered Prof. Churchill very great 
assistance by taking the position of organist. In 186S Geo. 
\Y. Steele, now a graduate of Leipsic. was elected professor 
of music in the college and leader of the choir. In rSyo, on 
Prof. Steeles resignation. Prof. Churchill again took charge 
for a year, and was succeeded by Prof. J. R. Severance. 
Dining 1872 the choir was led by Mr. 1 nomas A. Hall, a 
theological student. In 1873 Mr. Wm. Chamberlain was 
elected and served until last Aug., when Prof. Severance 
was a second time appointed and still serves. 'This choir is 
said never to have been troubled with those chronic jars and 



2Q 
FIRST CHURCH, OBERLIN. ' 

difficulties which afflict most choirs; and the reason must lie 
in the two facts that it has always required good moral 
character as a condition of membership, and that its meetings 
for rehearsal have always been opened with prayer — facts 
which ought to be true of every church choir in Christen- 
dom. 

GENERAL INFLUENCE. 

As to its general influence in the couiitry, we need to 
guard against attributing to the church, as such, what 
belongs to the institution. And yet the whole institution tor 
nearly thirty years was in the bosom of the church, and dur- 
ing that time, the preaching from this pulpit did, perhaps 
almost as much toward making the men who have gone out 
from here, as the course of study, or the college influences 
by which they were surrounded. The First Church has 
been from the beginning a missionary church. It felt that 
its work was largely to raise up men who would go to the 
"waste places." Accordingly, we find Its members going out 
in large numbers to the fields already opened, and some of 
them opening new fields for themselves. Rev. David S. 
Ingraham, one of the first graduates here, with his wife 
went out and established a mission among "the recently 
freed inhabitants of Jamaica," others, to the number of nearly 
a score, accompanied or followed him. Some fifteen or 
twenty, we know not how many more, have gone to Africa. 
Several to Hayti; a number to the Indians; others to the 
g^ colored fugitives in Canada; and home missionaries without 
number to the interior and far west, The antislavery senti- 
ments entertained here led to the espousal of the freedman's 
cause at the South, by this church, as peculiarly its own. 
Anion jj the leading men in that work, from this church, are 
the late Sec. Whipple and the present Secretaries Strieby 
. and Cravath. 

The silence of the American Board on the subject of 



•U> HISTORY OF THE 

slaven ■; its employment of slaveholders as missionaries:, and 
the soliciting of funds from the slaveholders, at a time when 
it seemed to the Oherlin people that a High christian position 
was imperatively demanded, led to -a lack of interest heievin 
that society for several years. As one of the early memi 
affirms, '"it was with £-.rief thyti we felt called upon to rebuke 
j he carnal polic\ <>f this and 'some other; societies jWath which 
\w loved to act. because they, refused to treat, the. -k 
>iaver\ as they dul other sins." These societies, howe 
Jinally came over to anlisjayery grounds, and the qhurch is 
m>w in hearty sympathy with them. 

Add to the missionary work and spirit of the.,.cfu' 
the <n;eat number «»t. teachers,, who have, gune out fyom lis 
^ ''-•-<' 1 1 1 . carrying ed.ucatioi), and religion together (U.^t'ne 
remotest corners of the land; the .preacher^, who .--here 
accepted the old gos.pej yvith^ nevy baptism and we.n,t , to rjh 
preaching the unsearchable, riches oh Christ;' the lon^ list 
of c<}tlege, presidents ami professors who are., still standing 
aL 1 heir posts in t he educational ,centers : of the ^reat. yftP&\ 
the men -1'iiuU' in fhe poetical, arena ;. t^e meu.ot .learning 
who have .vemaiu i e j (,\.^ere ! ,to train this.; mass of, mind , tor its 
work, and we cannot avoid,, the, conclusion .tjiat ny other 
church on the cmitinent has had in the, same le,ng,th of. time, 
>■■ wide a spiritual influence. And when we think of. the 
>tru--le> throu-h which the First Church ha> passed, si; 
g}$S .with lhc^-i^aHtic forests; strumitis with ..pinching pov > 
city; strnj^lcs against tin- ...prejudices of ineiir.: when ■>. we 
renuuhher the purposes- that have animated it, and the causes 
with which it has keen identified, .in the last forty ve-ars of 
the history of this count rvv and 1 the kfn^doin' of ChrJM.we 
feel tlrat the pardoilahtepride^hibh the 1 .early colonists' talttf 
in their career, and of which they have sometimes bb&fl 
yood->natu redly accused;; is at kti&t not: surprising.. I The 
church has doubtless, had its faults, hut on a gfreat multitude 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERLIN. J I 

ojf its members and their, work, God has manifestly set hi3 
seal, 9 ., , 

J;i | , RELATION TO THE CpLLEGli. 

• The Church and College, though having no: organic 
connection, have always sustained the most, intimate rela -I 
tio-n to each other. Thev were born together and being - dire 
in .aim and -spirit, neither can -be separated from the other 
without loss; ! The glory of the one is the glory of: the other! 
The -colonists came here not to live upon the college, but to 
help the college live. Accordingly, -.'? they pledged themselves 
to make the interests of the Oberlin Institute identical with 
their own. v , This -pledge has been gene rally kept. The stir-; 
dents have lived in tile cirri stirai families of the/church| 
become , identified with.it their interests, a partaken \oi rtfoieie 
spirit, knelt with- them at their family altars - and gone with 
them torthe house.^of God<. In the ear.ly days, one ortwo of | 
the>_deaconso£ the church were, quite generally chos-en from 
a^ojig/fhe students. To one looking on from:/w,hhout. this> 
^lioiig.ht rises spo/itaneousjy to. the lips.. The, First .Church 
cqn.fiever afford to recede from. that noble attitude .assipiied 
in the tenth article of the Colonial Covenant, to make, "The ; 
interests of, the Oberlin Institute identical with its own." 

- r i > 111 \i\ ■ '■::■- . ■.. ' \i ■ t ' b , ; ■ (I 

And the Institution cannot afford to cut loose from the early 
ties, the traditions,- and sacred memories which bind it to 
this historic church. 

RELATION To. Cp^GREGATI.OXAE ISM. , ; , 0| > 

This church came into existence. at a time when? tiie 
denominational sky of Northern Ohio. was already fuliiof 
mutte rings and storm. alLike others of those days, the: Ober> 
Jln.ehu-jfeh: though Congregational; united, with th.e,Glevelartd 
•Fi:esibyt6ry^under the then decaying ■; influence of the' . famous 
^-Fkni iof t T\ T ni^n."-.- ;Tt; i does. mog\ appear, .that that, plan A^as 
ever really approved by the church, but it did not wish to 



32 HISTORY OF THE 

Btand alone, and the founder of the colony, and most of the 
leading men here, were connected with Presbyterian bodies. 
Under the plan of union which had then been in operation 
some thirty-four years, a set of influences, probably unfore- 
seen by either part)' at the beginning, was slowly but surely 
brinsrins: all the churches under Presbvterian rule. If this 
influence could have carried over the hearts and convictions 
of the people with the organizations, the evil would have 
been little or nothing:. But such was not the case. The 
anomaly presented was simply this : a people, in some 
sense, compelled to work under an ecclesiastical system 
with which the great majority of them did not svmpathize, 
and in which they did not believe. The time had come, 
therefore, when many felt that Congregationalists must 
either give up their principles and be absorbed in the 
Presbyterian body, or take some step that looked toward 
liberation. Accordingly, in 1836, the Oberlin Church with- 
drew from the Presbytery, and together with nineteen 
others organized the " General Association of the Western 
Reserve."' The statement made at the time that this was an 
"Oberlin movement," appears to be substantially correct, 
though the Oberlin men modestly declined the honor. True, 
it was a movement of the lay brethren ot the churches, 
but the doctrinal basis of the Association originated at 
Oberlin, and is identical with the creed of the First Church 
as it now stands. The men, also, who led in the movement 
and carried its burdens all through its history were many 
of them here. It is well-known that a period of distressing 
schism among the churches of the Reserve followed the 
mization of this Association. The charge was made on 
I 1 one hand, that the Oberlin church alone was responsible 
for all the bitterness and separations that followed; on the 
ether hand, a counter charge was made by Oberlin, that 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERLIN. 33 

those divisions resulted from Presbyterian "aggressions 
upon the legitimate rights of Congregational churches and 
ministerial brethren." This can be settled only by an 
appeal to facts previous to Oberlin's existence. 

It is well known that the Western Reserve was settled 
chiefly by New England people, and that the great majority 
of churches were Congregational. Rev. Thomas Barr, 
himself a Presbyterian, affirms that "in nine-tenths of the 
churches, there were no real Presbyterian members, and at 
the time of constituting the Grand River Presbytery, 1814, 
he did not recollect a single church within its limits that was 
truly Presbyterian, except the church at Euclid, his own." 
With the exception of eight years, from 1S04 to 18 12, the 
ministers were largly Congregational, though not as over- 
whelmingly so as the communicants. Under these circum- 
stances we should naturally look for the organization of 
Congregational associations, which the plan of union itself 
indeed contemplated; but instead of that, every e( v ort in 
that direction being opposed by the Presbyterian brethren 
and generously waived by the Congregational, Presby- 
teries came to be organized instead. To these bodies, Con- 
gregationalists were at first, as a matter of friendly inter- 
course, invited to send delegates. Next the Presbyteries 
gave advice to the Congregational churches. Then they 
invited them to bring their church books, which the dele- 
gates did, to be examined by the Presbytery. Thus Presby- 
tery came to be "a court of revision." By this process, 
little by little, the Congregational churches came under 
Presbyterian control without any real change in the con- 
victions of the great mass of the people. So far had this 
process proceeded before Oberlin was founded, that five 
Presbyteries were organized on tire Reserve and not one 
Congregational body. Every man who came to labor here 
was expected to join the Presbytery. It was claimed 



54 



HISTORY OF THE 



finally, that Presbyterians had the g round, and that no min, 

-u-r had a ri- lit f;p promote Congregationalism. Those 

whodid, were denounced as innovators and schismatic.-.. 

Such was the condition of affairs when this church 

came upon the stage ot action in i^S4- It was compelled — 

Pre&bvterian as main of its leaders vyere — either to. take 
.rrBa • nr to 

sides with the Presbytery and give up Congregationalism, 

altogether, oi against the Presbytery, tor a course of activity 

at once freer and more in accordance with the genius of the 

r 

people,. and tl eir controlling id,eas,of reform. They chose 
* . ■ i » | f o r i h 

the latter, and the die was cast. 

• i • 

Now, these facts indicate that Oberlin was in no uroper 
sense the cause of the troubles that followed the year 18^6. 
The real cause was in operation before "Oberlin had an exist- 
ence. The movement with which this church became 
identified and in which it became the leader, though for a. 

time apparently making matters worse, was really the first 

- . • 

healing influence upon the disease which had been rankling 

in the blood of the people for years. Unquestionablv. there 

i> now laid a foundation for wholesome harmony and union, 

which could never have been attained under the old regime. 
I 

The difference in the course pursued by the two parties was 

/ ., ■ y ■• ■ - . ■ •■•.• f . > 

this : Oberlin undertook to remove the cause of the trouble; 

i . \ 

her antagonists the symptoms: the former would .cure the 

f*\l - l i>J (113 • 

distressed patient hy cutting out the cancer, the latter by 
u.nics and trituration 

; ^( M ln addition to these tilings,, there were , two. cause.- wJ 
account for much of the bitterness i'elt toward the-Ob- 
church in the Congregational movements ..which followed 
kft'lorganization. These were 'abolitionism and new schooj 
fltfeolng\. 

At ihe South t'hephlprt w;h silenced by th* -slaVeH&kterV, 
alb who opposed them'behig threatened:, scourged, \*r' driven 
out. At the East, Boston and New York were held in 



3M YflOT/!I}l ■ 

FIRST CHURCH, OBERLIN",. 7.< 

terror by proslaverriimobs. <The. church in New York,-over 
which I President Finney was then -pastor, ■ barely escaped 
with theii 1 : lives through the coin-age' ••■■■and foresight 
of Oberlims best friend, Lewis Tappant ; In 18^4, by 
means -of ! the antislavery = ; rupture at Lane ' Seminary 
loidcj the ■ consequent* accession here in 18-55- b^^i^fW} 
«fos.sor«s ■ Murwae,"' Finney,' -Cowles* 1 and "Mahan, *(bht&tfd 
iMJCame very pronounced in its antislaverv ; sentiments-. 
^Closely consequent upon tbmfi sa-ys> Professor ; Co wlb$< 
* s the attitude of Presbyterians on fcihe -Reserve towards 
Oberlin became unfraternal, repe^lant 'and exclusive. " ■■ J The 
action at Lane Seminary was- followed by proslaverv ■mol^j 
the;i- destruction of the antislaverv press at GinCimiati, ©4 
and- at: Alton, 111., and the murdei->of dRev. E. P. Loveioy. 
While these cfhttftgs were 1 occurring' through the couMtry-, 
the Presjjyteria,ns, who. were^mainly opposed, to antislavery 
agnation, .began to tighten still more their ecclesiastkabgnp, 
The right of churches to choose, their own ^pastors, wi ( thp;iji]t 
regard to Presbytery was denied, them. .Even, the funda- 
mental principle that the majority shall rule, was resisted, 
3 ■ ■ -. I .1 x ■:. i [bin ■ ■.-_•• !fj;ni>voffi \m\ i ' 

it being held by some Presbyteries that. even a small minority 

adhering to the Presbytery, was the church. This, in its 
Ik no "" ) ' '■ (6W ;, ■■-•■ - s 1 

turn, produced uneasiness and stimulated the spirit of revolt 
inn - it) ■■, . ~?^ i ' ■ '.' ! l : • '■ :•■■''>■■ 1 ' 

among 1 the laity. So high dicb the feeling run, that when 

-. ; |j ■ •; , ' i ... % ■ I.'. . .... 'Jffl I " - 1 ilol J ■ S I 

two Oberlin graduates, who had been brought up in the 

1 ' ' ' 1 ' " ■ • 11 ■, ■ Vi - ' >• , ■ r j 

bosom of the Presbytery, and were well known, asked to be 

examined tor license to preach, they were denied the 

. 1 . \. .* h> - . \ ; 

privilege, and Oberlin denounced as a "curse to the world ' 
nil , I ■ . , ■ I ^ ■ .. r ■ ■■• : ,' >^i , ' J 

I hese same young men are to-dav the Presidents 01 Ober- 

. ' ., . • < 

lin College, Ohio, and of Berea College. Kentucky. 

Again, the grasp with which new school theology was 
held here, also did much to characterize the Congregational 

movement 011 the Western ■|^eserve,iiaiKiiao>brrngi<CS^erlin 
into prominence. The old school party in the Presbyterian 



36 



HISTORY OF THE 



church had been for some tune branding the new school 
divine- as heretics. Dr. Lvman Beecher was put on trial 
for new school views in 1835. Professors Finney, Morgan, 
Cowles and Mahan were all connected with Presbyteries 
and might also, at any time, be forced away from the work 
here bv the same authority that controlled others. This, 
practically, placed the interests of Obeiiin at the mercy of 
the old school power. There was really, therefore, no path 
open for men who believed in Congregationalism, new 
school theology, and the emancipation of the slave, but that 
of independence in relation to the Presbyterian body. That 
course was chosen here, however, with great moderation, 
some of the leading men even declining to unite with the 
Congregational Association till its eighth annual meeting. 

The result of the Oberlin movement upon Congrega 
tionalism in Ohio may be summed up in two points. 

1. It gathered up, encouraged and consolidated 
churches which under the old system were dying out. 
Many to-day are becoming self-supporting and efficient, 
which, without that would have had no existence. 

2. That movement, while it finally failed to meet the 
growing demands of the churches of the State, doubtless 
paved the way for the organization of the Congregational 
Conference ol Ohio in 1852. The beneficent results that 
have followed the latter organization, says the Congrega- 
tional Quarterly for April, 1863, "are due largely to the' 
Oberlin Theological alumni, who went into the ministry 
intelligently devoted to the church polity of the pilgrims. 
Out of two hundred it would not be easy to find one who 
has swerved from these good old paths.** 

POLITICAL ATTITUDE OF THE CHURCH. 

A single glance must be given to the political relations 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERL.IN. 37 

of tlie church to the country at large. This building- has 
never been devoted simply to the proclamation of the gos- 
pel on the Sabbath. The members of the church seem to 
have felt that righteousness is not an attribute of the brick 
and mortar composing the house, but of the men who built 
it. They were not, therefore, afraid of its, desecration by 
being put to more secular uses. The house has always been 
open for the discussion of every moral question which man 
needs to understand. It has been the rallying place where, 
in mass meetings, all conceivable questions of interest have 
been discussed, but especially the great political issues of 
the nation from the early antislaverv times, down to the 
campaign for Hayes and Wheeler. The political attitude of 
the membership mav be understood from such sentiments 
as these : '* Patriotism a part of religion." " Loyalty to 
God and loyalty to government when it is loyal to God." 
" We mean to teach our children," said Prof. H. E. Peck, 
" to respect law and its ministers, but we also mean to teach 
them that they will not be dutiful to the State, if they do 
not hold her to duty to God, and that they will be traitors, 
if they obey a law which breaks the law of Heaven." The 
courage with which these sentiments were held, is illustrsted 
in the resolutions passed by this same Prof. Peck and his 
fellow prisoners upon leaving the Cleveland jail, where for 
opposition to the fugitive slave law they had languished for 
eighty-five days. When release came, and before leaving 
the prison, having rendered thanks to God for his mercy, 
they unanimously adopted this resolution : " That after all 
the pains and penalties inflicted upon us b>' government 
officials m the attempt to enforce the fugitive slave act, we 
feel it to be our duty to say, that our hatred and opposition 
to that unjust and unconstitutional law are more intense 
than ever before. No fine or imprisonment however en- 
forced, by whatever court, can induce us to yield it obedience. 



j8 HISTORY OF THE 

will hereafter as we have heretofore, help the panting 

-cape from tho>e who would enslave him, what- 

es.r -nav he the authority under which they may act.'" i 

A little incident is related illustrative of the way int 

ch these principle- were carried out. A slave mother 

a large family of children, including a little orphan boy 

given her bv another slave mother on her death bed,: was 

delaved in her flight, at Oberlin. bv the. sickness of the little. 

boy. At first she would not leave him, but rinding- that her 

master was in immediate pursuit of Her, she was hurried on ; 

to Canada, and the ladies here took care of the sick chilob 

In a few days he died, and the funeral, which occurred on 

fc-.mda.y afternoon in this church, is said to have been so ; 

affecting that there was hardly a dry eye, ,in the house. 

Father Keep and 'Prof. Peck conducted the exercises.' A 

few Sabbaths later a dime, collection was taken for the pur- 

e of buying a stone to put over the little grave, . 
- >i,<M% I , /0 v ot.ri'. . . I 

It would be pleasant here to mention some of the 

scenes or profound interest witnessed m this church during 

the "war of the rebellion \ how the early principles inculcated 

Here had prepared the people to bound to the front when 

i country called for troops, and to lay their sons on the 1 

altar of sacrifice that the slave might be freed and the 1 

nation saved. But all that, of course; is not peculiar to 

Oberlin, but is the common glory of every loyal community!. 

Perhaps the most thrilling meeting ever held within thes-e 

wails, was.that'of July 6. ^o,, when those prisoners "for righte- 

oa-ncs- sake," before referred to, were welcomed home from 

jail. They were met at the cars by the whole population of thd 

place, headed by Prof. James Monroe, now Member of ;i Con-' 

gress.who sa.ubto them; "you have made no compromises with : 

slavery, thei<e has been, no bowing down of . the body, no, 

bending of fhe knee ; erect as God made you you went into. 

prison,, erect as God made you you have come out r of 

prison.". After t|ie address the heroes , were escorted , by the 

: • ■ . > I j f i i ii i 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERLIN. 39 

.-<!;-; oj. 

people with music and flying banners to the " great 

dh'iirch^ where the meeting was organised: The venerable' 

Father' Keep was chosen President, and his ringing words 

for human freedom and the supremacy of the divine l£$$g 

gave, the. key note to the meeting. Speech after speech of 

welcome and congratulation, response after response from 

the returned prisoners, all breathing intense devotion t 

country, humanity and the higher law, coupled with appo- 

sition even unto death, to the fugitive slave act, held the 

t „, n. hire 1 '..,,,- 

immense audience spellbound from early evening till the 

small hours 01 the night. A deep religious feeling per- 
vaded the assembly as they satr'now' 'burning with in dign a- 
tibhkt the wrongs of theishives, now bathed in tears at the 
recital of prison 'experience' artd' the< :, tender reuniting^ 'W 
divided: families, now hushed- in silence, and now thlirideP- 
qus with applause^ . After* t.^hese old walls -had echoed' ,J and 
reechoed thus with eioqueivc-e fttid song till past mid nighty 
the people , were again melted ^ w^pjiig by the closing 

praver of Dr. Morgan, " whose great and noble heartr" 

■ -', 1 -i 'rt ■• ■"■ «'^« v\ '„ ' ,- ',' ' ' % 

says the reporter, " reached out toward all, and pe prayed 

that the day might soon dawn when all the world should be 

free, and whem' iff f Ulb the earth should be found" not one 

enslaved family nor one enslaved *<m\r 

..,■■.■■ , 

conclusion. funim 

1 Such a history as this fills the mind with a multitudeof 
emotions, prominent among which is thankfulness to God.' 
The pre'sent generation here, has, indeed, a rich legacy ffohi 
the past. If ever a "church 'was established for the purpose' 
of 'evaiigelizing the 1 world this one was, And as we stand 
in the midst of this transition period, seeing on the one 
hand the men of God who laid the foundations, gradually 
vanishing from our view, and entering into their rest ;' atid 
on the other, the great problems and responsibilities of • the? 
future opening before us, these • absorbing questions press 



4 D H1STOKY OF THE 

imperatively for reply: Arc we true to our trust? Are the 
men of to-day meeting the duties of to-day as the fathers 
met theirs forty years ago? Is the old spirit gone? 

It is of course perilous to institute comparisons, but in 
view of the facts before us. we make the following sugges- 
tions: 

i. The aim and spirit of the fathers have not departed. 
The great and good men and women w T ho have prayed and 
struggled here, have left a legacy which their children are 
not groinsr to cast awav. Circumstances, forms, methods 
must of course change with the progress of years. It is 
well they should. But the old purpose and principles 
remain; and even a causual observer would not fail still to 
detect here, great energy of spiritual life. The rock on 
which we are planted is the "Rock of ages." What has 
been said of the college, may be said with equal truth of this 
church. "There have been changes, but none such as to 
separate the present from the past in identity of character." 

2. We shall do well to remember that we cannot live 
upon the virtues and heroisms of the past. Circumstances 
here are now so different that the lives of the founders, if 
minutely reproduced would not meet the demands of to-day. 
We are bound to transmit christian character and institu- 
tions. But after all, it i> not those of the fathers but our 
own, that will most directly concern posterity. As indi- 
viduals, we too, shall soon have passed away, li' we have 
any noble aims, any high aspirations from the past, we are 
to speak them out, put them on record, and send them down 
the fields of time that the gleaners of the next generation 
may find something that the reapers of this have left. But 
our supreme duty to the future is to enable our children to 
• •gin not where our fathers, or where we began, but where 
Ac left oil". We owe it to them to leave behind us, in .spirit, 



FRIST CHURCH, OBERLIN. 41 

principles and institutions, that which will adequately ex- 
press our last and best attainments. 

3. There is no call here for any new departure. The 
mission of the church is to be what it has been. What the 
world needs is still God-like men and women. The great 
wants of the nation that so deeply impressed the founders 
of this church still continue. The wonderful progress of 
the last forty years, has scarcely altered even the aspect of 
the country's demand upon the church of Christ for conse- 
crated service. The three great causes to which this church 
devoted itself in the past were the emancipation ot the 
slave, the emancipation of the drunkard and the conversion 
of the heathen io Christ. These will still be the great 
absorbing questions of the future. Slavery as a system has 
passed away, but the work of the church for the slave is 
not done. There never was an hour in antislavery his- 
tory, when the negro needed more christian help than to- 
day. A half century to come will hardly put his cause 
beyond solicitude. The danger is that we shall have been 
found adequate to the breaking of his shackles, but not 
equal to guiding and sustaining him amid the perils of free- 
dom. Governments can abolish slavery, but only intelli- 
gence and Christ can make men free. The future of the 
temperance cause in America is also still in obscurity. The 
liquor interest is better organized than ever before. "It 
holds the balance of power and cracks its whip effectually 
over both political parties." 

But the cause which more than any other is to call for 
consecrated christian patriots in the future, is that which 
grows out of the tremendous influx of heathen to our own 
shores. While immigration from Europe may have reached 
its climax, that from China. India and Japan has just begun. 
Brahminism and Boohdism are to join hands with, infidelity 



42 HISTORY OF THE 

in America. It is possible that the great struggle with 
heathenism is to be, not in Africa or Asia, but on this con- 
tinent. Here christians must unite and pagans will. Then 
will come the death grapple in which they shall triumph, 
with whom is the Lord God Almighty. These questions 
can be met so far as we are concerned, only by the old 
spirit adapted to the new circumstances. To be faithful to 
our trust, we must still, like our fathers, stem the tide of 
worldly opinion when that opinion is opposed to holiness of 
life, and still hold fast the gospel principles of economy, 
simplicity and selfdenying love. 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERI.IN, 43 

APPENDIX. 



I St. CONFESSION OF FAITH. 

Article I. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old 
and New Testaments are given by inspiration of God, and 
are the only infallible rule of faith and practice. 

Article II. We believe in one God — the Creator and 
Ruler of the Universe, existing in a divine and incompre- 
hensible Trinity — the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the 
Holy Ghost — each possessing all divine perfections. 

Article III. We believe in the fall of our first 
parents, and the consequent entire apostasy, depravity, and 
lost condition of the human race. 

Article IV. We believe in the incarnation, death, 
and atonement of the Son of God; and that salvation is 
attained only through repentance and faith in his blood. 

Article V. We believe in the necessity of a radical 
change of heart, and that this is effected through the truth, 
by the agency of the Holy Ghost. 

Article VI. We believe that the moral law is bind- 
ing on all mankind as the rule of life, and that obedience to 
it is the proper evidence of a saving change. 

Article VII. We believe that credible evidence of a 
change of heart, is an indispensible ground of admission to 
the privileges of the visible church. 

Article VIII. We believe that the ordinances of 






'*" * 



44 



HISTORY OF THE 



Baptism and the Lord's Supper, together with the Christian 
Sabbath, are >>t perpetual obligation in the church. 

Article IX. We believe in the resurrection of the 
-lead, in a future judgment, the endless happiness of the 
righteous, and the endless misery of the wicked. 

2d. The Covenant. 

You do now, in the presence of God, of angels, and of 
men, solemnly avouch the Father, the Son, and the Holy 
Ghost, the one only living and true God, to be your God. 
You receive the Father as your Father, the Lord Jesus 
Christ as your all-sufficient and only Redeemer, and the 
Holy Ghost ;ts your Sanctifier. Professing unfeigned 
sorrow for your past sins, and renouncing all ungodliness 
and every worldly lust, you do now freely, and in the fixed 
purpose of your heart, give up yourself, soul and body, with 
all that you have, to be the Lord's — promising to walk lie- 
fore Him in holiness all the days of your future life. 

You leceive the brethren in Christ as your brethren, 
and his friends as your friends ; and promise to watch over 
them with all christian fidelity and tenderness. 

You do also submit yourself to the government of 
Christ in his Church, and to the regular administration of it 
in this church in particular. You also covenant to walk in 
communion with your brethren, not only whilst you con- 
tinue to be members of this church, but also in all other 
places where, in the providence of God you may be called 
to reside, and where the ordinances of the gospel may be 
maintained ; endeavoring to promote divine worship, and 
christian love and fellowship, by all the means of Christ's 
appointment, and within your power. 

And, finally, you engage to live as humble christians, 
in the regular and faithful attendance upon the worship and 
ordinances of Christ in this place, and in the performance 



M B 18. 7. 



FIRST CHURCH, OBERLIN. 45 

of all your solemn engagements to God and your brethren, 
until by death or otherwise regularly removed. 

All this you solemnly engage, to do, in humble depend- 
ence upon the grace of God. 

( The church will rise, and the Pastor will say :) 

" We, also, on our part, covenant and promise to watch 
over you, seek your purity, peace, and edification ; and so 
far as in us lies, to advance your spiritual interests." 

3d. THE CHURCH DEBT. 

Since these pages were written an event has occurred 
which shows that the church still holds the spirit of "pocket- 
book consecration " exhibited in early days. A debt of 
$6,500 had been hanging over the church since the building 
of the new chapel and purchase of the new organ. The 
subject of liquidating this debt was presented from the pulpit 
March 35th, 1877. The people responded with their old time 
enthusiasm. Through the earnest endeavors ot Rev. T.J. 
Keep and others as committee of the society, the way was 
prepared for a successful effort on the next Sabbath morning. 
The time usually occupied by the sermon was given to the 
taking of subscriptions, and $5,750 were raised on the spot; 
the choir, of some eighty members, giving $300 unsolicited . 
During the following week the remainder of the sum re- 
quired was more than made up, and on Sunday morning, 
April S, the announcement was made to a very happy 
people that they had no church debt. 







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